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University adds archery, expands shooting sports

The University of the Ozarks athletic department has announced it will add competitive men's and women's archery and expand its current men's and women's clay target shooting team.

Men's and women's archery will begin competition in 2014-2015, said Ozarks Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. The shooting sports team already has a number of athletes participating. In 2010 Ozarks established a clay target shooting team and later that same year became the first shooting program from Arkansas to compete in the Association of College Union's Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships in San Antonio, Texas.

Both the archery and shooting sports programs will compete as Olympic sports.

Earlier this month, the University announced the addition of men's wrestling and cheer/STUNT for the 2013-2014 academic year, bringing the total number of competitive sports to 17.

"The addition of clay target shooting and archery as Olympic sports will provide even greater opportunities for students to compete at the college level," said U of O President Richard Dunsworth. "Our natural outdoor setting creates a variety of recreational interests, and we want to continue broadening that with appealing programs. We are pleased to expand our shooting sports while still emphasizing a liberal arts education in a student-centered environment."

The archery and clay target shooting teams will compete against other collegiate programs around the region.

"These are sports that students have a desire to compete in at the collegiate level," said Clark. "It appeals to students across the region. At the local level, the shooting sports teams at Clarksville and Lamar have a great number of participants."